Kratu- A Novel (Three Parts in One Book)

Cursed with eternal memory for transgressing the thin line between orthodoxy and liberty, Kratu, a young man from the ancient era, moves through time and worldly spheres, exploring both the illusions and the wisdom permeating the universe. Burdened by deathless memory, he pines for freedom while traversing successive worlds and epochs, deeply empathizing with the characters, bound in various shades of shackles that populate these sojourns. By the time he is born in a city in the present time, Kratu has dedicated himself to sprinkling joy and freedom from entrapment to people and personalities of all hues. As the story weaves together the successive births of Kratu, tales of wisdom, told masterfully through the medium of divinities and great seers, get knit into a unified whole of past, present and future, bringing alive the consciousness of a millennia of Indian tradition. Kratu, as an engaging novel, not only narrates a multitude of absorbing tales but goes beyond - indeed, as Kratu, the pan-temporal traveller, embeds our psyche with priceless wisdom deeply imbued in the numerous streams coursing through the consciousness of India and its people.

This was a royal gift indeed, and like all priceless gifts, given to me freely, for which I thank you, my brother and friend in need.

I have been moved beyond words by the tale of Kratu: immense in scale, encompassing the tri kaal of past, present, and future. Your work of inspiration reminds me of the words of Rajaji who, in describing the Mahabharata, said (as I recall, without Kratu's gift/curse of perfect memory): 'Ordinary novels aim to thrill the senses, exciting the emotions of the reader, to reach "happily-ever-after" fairytale endings, or in terrible tragedy and destruction. The divine tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata, however, take us through the journey of human nature, and elevate us in the end to the consciousness of the Ultimate Divinity.'

Indeed Kratu had this effect on me. I thank you and, through you, your entire Guru-Parampara and Ma Durga Herself, for giving this unworthy human being such a marvellous experience.

The tale weaves its magical way across an immense timespan, threaded with masterly skill, truly like beads on a thread, as Kratu grows through his experiences to fulfil his sworn Karma. The tale is filled with pearls of eternal wisdom, scattered without a care across the pages, with the generosity of a Kubera of Knowledge. Aphorisms hang like ripe mangoes from the boughs of this tree of knowledge and deep learning. I marvel at the spontaneous inspiration of the author that the entire work was conceived and penned in a matter of 8 weeks. Only divine inspiration could have made this possible. The quick interludes with the Great Sages of our culture - Valmiki, Vyasa, Kapila, Shankara, Buddha and others - sparkle with spiritual light, leaving one in awe of the immensity of our civilisation. I, for one, am indeed convinced that we are indeed at the start of the next Satya Yuga, and our land has the strength of culture, knowledge, and discipline to lead the way to the Indian Renaissance of the 21st century. This book is not only a reminder of our heritage, but also the harbinger of our destiny.

**Contents and Sample Pages**